Storage containers for detonators



Jan. 13, 1959 WLDONKINV I 2,868,360

STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR DETONATORS Filed April 26, 1955 2 Shets-Sheet 1. I

Jan. 13, 1959 w, DQNKIN 2,868,360

STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR DETONATORS Filed April 26, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent'O 2,868,360 STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR DETONATORS William Harry Donkin, London, England, assignor to Godfrey Holmes (Plastics) Limited, Lincoln, England, a British company Application April 26, 1955, Serial No. 503,954 Claims priority, application Great Britain April 28, 1954 3 Claims. (Cl. 206-3 This invention relates to containers for the storage and carrying of detonators, such as are used for example in mines, and its object is to provide an improved form of such containers.

According to the present invention, a container for detonators comprises a box subdivided internally into separate cells each to receive a detonator, the box having a sliding lid provided with abutments or stops to cooperate with further abutments on the box body, whereby movement of the lid is limited in such manner that only a predetermined number, less than the total number, of the cells in the box can be exposed at any one time.

Preferably the lid is arranged to expose onehalf of the cells when slid in one direction, and the other half when slid in the opposite direction. Both the box and its lid may be moulded from synthetic plastic material.

According to a feature ofthe invention, the lid has side flanges outside of the side walls of the box, which flanges carry the stops or abutments to co-operate with abutments on the exterior of the box walls, whereby that part of the underneath of the lid lying between the side walls of the box may be plain and smooth throughout its length so that there'is nothing to foul the detonators as the lid slides.

One form of container for detonators in accordance with the invention will now be described by way of example, and with reference to the accompanying drawings inWhich: p

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the top and one side of the container,

Figure 2 is a plan,

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the bottom and underside, and

Figure 4 is a view on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

The container to be described is in the form of an oblong box 11, five to six inches deep and slightly more than this in length, with a width of about 1 /2 inches, the box being moulded in synthetic plastic material, for ex ample polythene. On one side of the box it has on its exterior a pair of brackets 12 to receive webbing or the like whereby the box may be slung on the body of an operative, such as a miner-engaged in shot-firing operations.. The interior. of the box is divided into two main compartments by an integrally moulded centralpartition wall 13 extending parallel to the shorter side walls of the box, and in each compartment there is a separator assembly 14, which may also be of polythene plastic, for sub-dividing the compartment into ten equal storage cells 15 for ten detonators (not shown) arranged in two rows of five side by side.

The box 11 has a lid 16 arranged to slide in the longitudinal direction. The longer upper edges of the box are formed with narrow out-turned flanges or lips 17, and the lid 16 which slides over these lips has downwardly directed flanges 18 along its longer sides which extend past said lips 17 on the outside thereof and have inturned lower marginal portions 19 to engage beneath the lips,

thereby preventing the lid from being lifted from the box.

. as nylon.

On the opposite side of the box to the aforementioned brackets 12, there is secured by rivets 31 and near the top of the box a metal lock 20 with an upwardly directed locking bolt 21 to engage in a co-operating recess 22 in the inturned marginal portion 19 of the lid flange 18 on that side. The locking bolt 21 engages in the recess 22 to lock the lid 16 in the closed position, and can be unlocked to permit the lid to slide in either direction by the use of a key, which may also constitute the shot firers firing key. When unlocked, the lid 16 can be slid in either direction just far enough to uncover one or other of the two main compartments of the box, the movement being limited in one direction (as shown) by a stop 23 moulded on the lock-side lid flange 18 at one end of the lid engaging the casing of the lock 20, and in the other direction by a similar stop 24 on the opposite lidflange 18 and at the other end of the lid engaging an abutment 25 on the exterior of the box 11.

The locking bolt 21 of the lock 20 is returned to the locking position by the spring 32 as soon as the key is released or removed, and therefore the lid 16 is relocked automatically when returned to its closed position. In order that the stop 23 shall cooperate with the lock casing at the correct position, the lock 20 is offset toward one end of the box 11, with the result that the lock-side lid flange 18 passes clear of the bolt 21 when the lid 16 is slid in one direction, and therefore to facilitate re-engagement the lower edge of the lid flange at that end of the flange which meets the bolt first on the return movement is sloped or chamfered oif as at 26. The opposite end of the flange on the other side of the lid is likewise chamfered for the sake of symmetry.

Like the box 11, the lid 16 is made of a suitable synthetic plastic material, preferably a tough plastic such In assembly, the lid is slid on to the box before the'lock 20 is riveted in position, and it will be understood that once the lock is so positioned the lid cannot thereafter be removed completely from the box, and moreover it is only possible to expose half the detonators in the box, that is those in one or other of the two main compartments, at a time. A point of paramount importance is that the part of the underside of the lid 16 that slides over the box opening is perfectly flat with no projection of any kind, so that there is nothing to foul the detonators within the box. In order to ensure that there is no possibility of electrical contact being made With the detonators through the box wall by way of the rivets 31 securing the lock 20, a plastic insulating plate 27 (see Figure 4) is inserted in the compartment of the box opposite which the lock is situated between the separator assembly 14 and the inside of thewall that carries the lock. This plate is a close fit between the wall and separator assembly, and has formed integrally thereon and towards its lower edge a circular projection or boss 28 which fits into a corresponding circular hole 29 in the box wall, so that when the plate has been inserted in the box and the separator assembly 14 thereafter placed in position, the plate cannot then be removed. To avoid the need for dissimilar mouldings for the two main compartments of the box, an exactly similar plastic plate 27 is inserted in the other compartment also.

The sides of the box and lid, which will be against the shot firers body, are smoothly rounded off at the edges to avoid the discomfort which might arise from having sharp edges. If desired, a shallow depression 30 may be provided in the top of the lid to receive an identification disc. One side of the lid is ribbed or knurled to atford a finger grip.

It will be appreciated that, while in the specific example described. the container holds twenty detonators, any other desired number may be provided for without departing from the scope of the invention. Furthermore, materials of construction other than those mentioned may be employed.

I claim:

1. A detonator magazine comprising a box made from an electrically insulating material and sub-divided internally into separate cells each of a size to receive a single detonator, a sliding lid on the box, cooperating abutments on the lid and the box which limit the relative sliding in both directions so that only a predetermined number, less than the total number, of the cells in the box can be exposed at any one time, a key-operated metal lock on the exterior of one of the side walls of the box to lock the lid in the fully closed position, said lock being secured to the box by metal rivets passing through the side wall thereof, an electrically insulating plate inserted into the box against the inside of the wall to the exterior of which the lock is secured to ensure insulation of the rivets from the cell spaces, said insulating plate having a projectionto engage in a cooperating recess in the box wall such that while said projection is in said recess the plate cannot be' withdrawn from the box, and means to keep the projection in the recess when the magazine is assembled for use. i

. 2. A detonator magazine comprising a rectilinear box :moulded from electrically insulating synthetic plastic material and sub-divided internallyinto separate .cells each ofa size to receive a single detonator, outwardly-directed flanges on the top side edges of the box, a rectilinear box lid also moulded from electrically insulating synthetic plastic material, which lid slides on the box flanges and gives access to cells in the box when slid in either direction from a central closed position, external side flanges on the lid extending down outside the box flanges and having inturned lower portions engaging beneath the 'box flanges, that part of the underneath of the lid lying .between the side walls of the box being plain and smooth throughout its length, cooperating abutments on the lid flanges and the exterior of the box walls which limit the relative sliding in both directions so that half the cells are exposed when the lid is slid in one direction and the other half when the lid is slid in the opposite direction, walls in the inturned lower portion of one of the external side flanges on the lid, said walls defining a recess in said inturned portion of the lid flange, a keyoperated metal lock on the exterior of the side wall of the box on the same side as-the recessed lid flange, metal rivets passing through the lock and the sidewall of the box to secure the lock to the box wall, a lock bolt projecting upwardly from the lock and engaging in the recess in the inturned portion of the external lid flange to lock the lid in the fully closed position, a lock spring urging the lock bolt to re-enter the recess in the lid flange automatically and lock the lid whenever the lid is returned to the fully closed position, an electrically insulating plate inserted into the box against the inside of the wall to the exterior of which the lock is secured to ensure insulation of the rivets from the cell spaces, said insulating plate having a projection to engage in a cooperating recess in the box wall such that while said projection is in said recess in the box wall the plate cannot be withdrawn from the box, and means to keep the projection in the recess when the magazine is assembled for use.

3. A detonator magazine comprising a rectilinear box moulded from electrically insulating synthetic plastic material, said box having its external edges and corners rounded ofl and being divided internally into two equal compartments by an integral transverse partition wall, a separator assembly fitted into each compartment to divide up its space into a plurality of equal-sized individual cells each of a size to receive a single detonator, outwardly-directed flanges on the top side edges of the box, a rectilinear box lid also moulded from electrically insulating synthetic plastic material, which lid slides on the box flanges and gives access to cells in the box when slid in either direction from a central closed position, external side flanges on the lid extending down outside the box flanges and having inturned lower portions engaging beneath the box flanges, that part of the underneath of the lidlying between the side walls of the box being plain and smooth throughout its length, cooperating abutments on the lid flanges and the exterior of the box walls which limit the relative sliding in both directions so that only the cells in one box compartment are exposed when the lid is slid in one direction and only the cells in the other compartment when the lid is slid in the opposite direction, walls in the inturned lower portion of one of the external side flanges on the lid, said walls defining a recess in said inturned portion of the lid flange, a key-operated metal lock on the exterior of the side wall of the box on the same side as the recessed lid flange, metal rivets passing through the lock and the sidewall ot the box to secure the lock to the box wall, a lock bolt projecting upwardly from the lock and engaging in the recess in the inturned portion of the external-lid flange to lock the lid in the fully closed position, a lock spring urging the lock bolt to re-enter the recess in the lid flange automatically and lock the lid whenever the lid is returned to the fully closed position, and an electrically insulating plate inserted into each compartment of the box against the inside of the wall to the exterior of which the lock is secured, each said insulating plate having a projection to engage in a cooperating recess in the box wall such that while the plate is held against the box wall with said projection in said recess in the box wall the plate cannot be withdrawn from the box, and wherein each insulating plate is held against the box wall by the separator assembly in the same compartment' of the box so that the plates cannot be withdrawn so long as the separator assemblies are in position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,009,238 Goflin Nov. 21, 1911 1,286,810 Sheppard Dec. 3, 1918 1,985,869 Millice Dec. 25, 1934 2,708,026 Duell May 10, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 220,841 Great Britain Aug. 28, 1924 580,117 Great Britain Aug. 27, 1946 592,717 Great Britain Sept. 26, 1947 

